Mucho Unusual | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cal-bred Horse of the Year Mucho Unusual Retired

George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man–Not Unusual, by Unusual Heat), 2020's California-bred Horse of the Year, champion older female and turf horse thanks to a campaign that included a victory in the GI Rodeo Drive S. that September, has been retired at the age of six.

“The decision has been made to retire G1 winner and Cal-Bred Horse of the Year Mucho Unusual,” tweeted trainer Tim Yakteen. “We are sad to see her leave the barn, she has been so special to and for all of us. She returns to Starwood Farm, KY where she was born and we await the news of who she'll be bred to.”

The half-sister to MGSW and GISP $700,000-plus earner Big Score (Mr. Big) retires with a record of 24-8-5-5 and earnings of $957,415. She was a $170,000 Keeneland September RNA in 2017.

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Going to Vegas Ready to Roll in the Buena Vista

Trainer Richard Baltas sends out expected favorite GI Rodeo Drive S. winner Going to Vegas (Goldencents) in Saturday's GII Buena Vista S. at Santa Anita. Last seen finishing 11th in a 12-horse field after setting the early pace in the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Going to Vegas shook off the rust with a five-furlong drill in 1:00 (2/20) Feb. 26 in Arcadia. Flavien Prat, who won the GII John C. Mabee S. aboard the 5-year-old mare last September, has the mount.

To win, she'll have to get by likely frontrunner Leggs Galore (Bayern), sent out by Phil D'Amato, who is coming off a big effort, winning last out down the hill in the Jan. 15 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint S. She carries four fewer pounds than Going to Vegas and will almost certainly set the pace.

Coming after them both will be George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man), who, after a strong 2021 season, looks to improve on her second-place finish in last year's Buena Vista S. where she finished in front of Going to Vegas. She and Going to Vegas will both need to overcome outside post positions (Going to Vegas in the 10, Mucho Unusual in the 11), but have the class to do so.

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Cal-Bred Mucho Unusual Back To Defend Her Title In Robert J. Frankel Stakes

A dominant figure over the course, George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual is back to defend her title in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes as seven older fillies and mares go a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita lawn.

A soon-to-be 6-year-old California-bred mare by Mucho Macho Man out of Krikorian's Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, Mucho Unusual, a Grade 1 winner and four-time overall graded stakes winner for trainer Tim Yakteen, is a remarkable 12-6-3-3 over the local turf and sports a 22-8-5-4 overall mark with earnings of $933,415.

Idle since prevailing by a nose at 3-5 in a mile and one eighth allowance here on Oct. 30, Mucho Unusual will be reunited with John Velazquez who guided her to her Robert J. Frankel victory five starts back.

Trainer Richard Baltas is well-armed with a pair of distaffers, LNJ Foxwoods' improving Luck and Calvin Nguyen's English-bred Bodhicitta.

A 4-year-old filly by Kitten's Joy, Luck was two for four in France at marathon distances prior to taking her U.S. debut for Baltas going a mile and one sixteenth on turf in a first condition allowance Aug. 7 at Del Mar. Subsequently second, beaten a head in her last two races, the G1 Rodeo Drive at a mile and one quarter on turf here Oct. 2 and in the G3 Red Carpet Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on grass Nov. 25 at Del Mar, Luck has been knocking on the door and will hope to barrel through with Flavien Prat back aboard for the third consecutive time on Saturday.

Winless in her last six starts, the most recent a sixth place finish in the G1 Matriarch at one mile on turf Nov. 28, Bodhicitta will hope to be flying from off the pace under Kent Desormeaux.

THE GRADE 3 ROBERT J. FRANKEL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

Bodhicitta—Kent Desormeaux—121
Mucho Unusual—John Velazquez—123
England's Rose—Victor Espinoza—123
Moraz—Juan Hernandez—121
Sloane Garden—Kyle Frey—121
Global Brand—Umberto Rispoli—121
Luck—Flavien Prat—121

Special early first post time for a 10-race card including four graded stakes, is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Mucho Unusual Would Earn Millionaire Status With Matriarch Win

A gutty nose winner of Saturday's first race, a $65,000 allowance for fillies and mares at a mile and one eighth on turf, George Krikorian's homebred Mucho Unusual will now be pointed to the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar Thoroughbred in Del Mar, Calif., Nov. 28, with the primary objective to get her over the $1 million mark in career earnings, according to trainer Tim Yakteen.

“Our primary focus is to get her over a million dollars,” said Yakteen, who has orchestrated a terrific career for the 5-year-old California-bred mare by Mucho Macho Man. “She's getting close now ($933,415) and if all goes well in the Matriarch, we'll try to run again in the Frankel (Grade 3 Robert J. at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Dec. 31) and follow a similar path to what we've done this year.”

A win or second-place finish in Del Mar's $400,000 Matriarch, to be contested at one mile on turf, would put Mucho Unusual over the $1 million dollar mark and further enhance her residual value as a broodmare.

With an overall race record of 21-7-5-4, Mucho Unusual, who took the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on Sept. 26, 2020, is out of the outstanding producer Not Unusual, who is by Unusual Heat. A winner of the Grade 3 Frankel here on Dec. 27, 2020 and of the Grade 3 Megahertz on Jan. 18, 2021, Mucho Unusual has four graded stakes wins and five overall stakes victories, all on turf, to her credit.

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